Terms Used In California Codes > Code of Civil Procedure > Part 2 > Title 5 > Chapter 2 - Commencing Civil Actions

• Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
• City: includes "city and county" and "incorporated town" but does not include "unincorporated town" or "village. See California Government Code 20
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• county: includes "city and county". See California Penal Code 7
• Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Donor: The person who makes a gift.
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• knowingly: import s only a knowledge that the facts exist which bring the act or omission within the provisions of this code. See California Penal Code 7
• magistrate: signifies any one of the officers mentioned in Section 808. See California Penal Code 7
• maliciously: import a wish to vex, annoy, or injure another person, or an intent to do a wrongful act, established either by proof or presumption of law. See California Penal Code 7
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
• Person: includes any person, firm, association, organization, partnership, limited liability company, business trust, corporation, or company. See California Government Code 17
• Person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Penal Code 7
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• personal property: include money, goods, chattels, things in action, and evidences of debt. See California Penal Code 7
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• property: includes both real and personal property. See California Penal Code 7
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• seal: includes an impression of such seal upon the paper alone, or upon any substance attached to the paper capable of receiving a visible impression. See California Penal Code 7
• State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Government Code 18
• State: includes the District of Columbia and the territories when applied to the different parts of the United States, and the words "United States" may include the district and territories. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the district and territories. See California Penal Code 7
• state agency: includes every state office, officer, department, division, bureau, board, and commission. See California Government Code 11000
• Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Trustor: The person who makes or creates a trust. Also known as the grantor or settlor.
• will: includes codicil. See California Penal Code 7
• Writing: includes printing and typewriting. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17